Motivating Donors to Give — and Give Happily

That ideal is invariably an abstraction.

Instead of a concrete action like providing meals for hungry people, it is a value that’s inspiring but vague: Hope. An aspiration, not an action. (You might be shocked by how often Brand Experts arrive at Hope.)

On the surface, Hope looks like Just Do It. But it’s not even close. It doesn’t take a donor anywhere because it doesn’t motivate action. This is the moment when commercial-style branding fails for nonprofits.